'Skin popping' ulceration in an HIV patient. Successful treatment with antiretroviral drugs and stanozolol.

Skin popping refers to the practice of injecting drugs beneath the skin without concern for vascular access. We describe a male HIV seropositive injecting-drug user with chronic cutaneous ulcerations on the legs at sites of skin popping. Treatment with antiretroviral drugs and stanozolol was associated with a striking clinical improvement of the ulcer in two weeks. The mechanism of action, improvement of immune function by the antiretroviral treatment or activity of stanozolol on collagen and transforming growth factor-beta1 synthesis, remains unknown.